Who enjoyed part or all of Water Survival Training?

LTC Stephen F. — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 12:20:52 -0400

I went through water survival training at West Point while I was a cadet in the 1970's. It was in the winter in an indoor pool and we were wearing the green fatigues and black combat boots as we learned how to walk off 10 meter boards simulating exiting a troop ship, learning how to drop to the base of a river and propel yourself forward to cross bodies of water deeper than you could walk through, learning how to remove your trousers and inflate them to serve as a flotation device, and other techniques to help us survive in water.
Thanks for SSG Raymond Whitener for letting me know the course title is now "Combat Water Survival Training"
The following summer we had outdoor water training which was more like a confidence course but included thy slide for life which was fun after walking the long beam while soaking wet and trying not to look down :-)

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Sep 27 at 2015 12:24 PM

LTC Stephen F. — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 12:24:16 -0400

I enjoyed and learned much from the soldiers who taught us water survival training [USMA phys Ed and XX Special Forces Group NCOs]. The most useful lesson for me was learning how to remove my trousers, pull them over my head and inflate them to serve as a flotation device. Some of us are more buoyant that others. I learned I was more buoyant and could float.
Did you go through water survival Training ?SFC Private RallyPoint Member, SFC James Sczymanski, SGT Randal Groover, SGT Forrest Stewart, SrA Christopher Wright

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 27 at 2015 12:26 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 12:26:09 -0400

Trying to take off those BDU pants with the boots still on while treading water was certainly no picnic

Response by SN Greg Wright made Sep 27 at 2015 12:54 PM

SN Greg Wright — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 12:54:32 -0400

LTC Stephen F. I'm pretty good in the water. I didn't have any problems with it. It trips some people up though.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Sep 27 at 2015 1:16 PM

Capt Seid Waddell — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 13:16:18 -0400

Never been there, but I have enjoyed the films. I sink like a rock, so that is probably for the best.

Response by Sgt David G Duchesneau made Sep 27 at 2015 1:23 PM

Sgt David G Duchesneau — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 13:23:25 -0400

You have to be kidding me? Ya, I had so much fun going through this little exercise, much like the one you described above with all these raging nuts yelling at us during the entire training and if you didn't do it the way they wanted, they would jump in and show you what you were doing wrong. Hell, I felt like a droned rat by the time they got done with me. One thing I can say, luckily I knew how to swim. The poor bastards that didn't really caught hell. Most Marines don't even mention that part of our boot camp training. That and the other nice little exercise in the "gas chamber." Great time! What a cluster f-ck!

Response by Sgt David G Duchesneau made Sep 27 at 2015 1:38 PM

Sgt David G Duchesneau — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 13:38:43 -0400

What I couldn't figure out is that I was headed to Vietnam and I had no idea that Charlie had pools? I mean, WTF-Over, And I'd be damn if I was going to take off my fatigues while in the bush! Shit, I even keep my fatigues on when I washed. It was the only way those bastards were going to get clean. Hell, we were lucky to find a bomb crater full of water anyway. Can you imagine what was in that freaking water and we could care less?

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Sep 27 at 2015 1:55 PM

CPT Pedro Meza — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 13:55:06 -0400

I enjoyed all the things that I subjected the instructors during water survival, I am a good swimmer and was proud to remove my pants any time, as well as swim under water and pop up at the end. Worst I did was sit at the bottom and make them think I drowned.

Response by SSgt Terry P. made Sep 27 at 2015 3:12 PM

SSgt Terry P. — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 15:12:21 -0400

Hell,we had it easy.We didn't even have to wear swimming trunks,just wore our regular utilities and all our gear,made it easier to sink.

Response by SSG Raymond Whitener made Sep 27 at 2015 7:31 PM

SSG Raymond Whitener — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 19:31:38 -0400

This training is still being conducted, only now its called Combat Water Survival Training. I know when I was stationed in Hawaii, this training was mandatory for all incoming personnel

Response by Maj Kim Patterson made Sep 28 at 2015 2:28 AM

Maj Kim Patterson — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 02:28:00 -0400

We had water survival in the base pool, supervised by a bunch of F-4 Vietnam pilots who made it pretty easy going. We met the requirements. I hate to swim, all my life I sank without the aid of floatations devices but I can't remember what our yellow flotation devices were called at the time, perhaps Bouncing Betty's? It was really more like a pool party without alcohol.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 26 at 2015 3:27 PM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 15:27:06 -0400

.... bring back ... some nice and bad memories ....

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 26 at 2015 3:31 PM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 15:31:14 -0400

LTC Stephen Ford, I enjoyed most things that challenged my fear and ability to overcome obstacles, they were very rewarding in the end. I took this training at Fort Sherman, Panama as part of JOTC and it was an exhilarating experience. Of course it helped that my Dad taught me to swim at an early age and my mom continued my lessons as well as the swamp canoe and John boat training I received in Boy Scouts well prepared me for the training.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 26 at 2015 6:51 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 18:51:31 -0400

you kidding LTC Stephen F. I'm part fish. it was great.

Response by PO2 Mark Saffell made Oct 27 at 2015 6:49 AM

PO2 Mark Saffell — Tue, 27 Oct 2015 06:49:08 -0400

Swim team and dive master...this stuff is fun to me.

Response by SSgt Trevor Smith made May 25 at 2016 9:57 PM

SSgt Trevor Smith — Wed, 25 May 2016 21:57:48 -0400

I grew up competition water skiing from about age 5 until I enlisted. So I spent pretty much every swim worthy day in the water. I love it! I had a great time in water survival cause it got me in the water. Oh yeah, and I learned a couple things...

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 26 at 2016 11:43 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 26 Jun 2016 23:43:31 -0400

Sir, I am glad that I went throught it as it is a requiremrnt for commissioning. Not I know how to swim with gear on but helped in me onto my planning utilizing the IPB processes.